Attention to subtle details can elevate a lawyer website to stand above the crowded average website space. The right combination of textures, light and shadow can make certain elements pop, emphasizing important items and creating visual organization. If everything on a page looks flat, it is hard to distinguish one bit of information from another. Details create the sense of hierarchy that a website needs in order to prompt action and create results.

Effective websites employ a variety of techniques to bring menus, forms, buttons and text to life. A well designed website will apply these details on a pixel level in order to achieve the right balance. No single effect leaps off the screen individually, but without them the user experience would not be the same.

Try these simple techniques to take your firm’s website to the next level:

Depth, texture, light and shadow: Does your firm have one area of practice that is more lucrative than others? Highlight that area with a lighting effect or subtle color variation. Do you want to direct clients to a certain page? Give the desired link more depth with pixel perfect highlights or shading.

Borders and content delineation: It is important for a website to have clear, aesthetic separation between blocks of content. Content must be organized to flow logically and direct users to take a desired action. Borders are critical to achieving that organization. Light, subtle borders will help make your website easy to scan and read, prompting prospects to spend more time on your site – which ultimately leads to conversion. But when done poorly, or overdone, borders add visual noise to a page, and can cause potential clients to become overwhelmed and click away.

Font face, size and spacing: The right choice of font can help set the mood of an entire site. In the past, designers were limited to a small set of fonts, with the big choice basically being between serif (Times) and sans serif (Verdana). The development of web fonts has opened up a wide variety of options, giving your firm the chance to select a font that distinguishes you from your competition. Within that font family, use variation in weights and sizes to direct users.

Behind every successful law firm website is a strategy for appealing potential clients. Once that strategy has been established, choose the right set of visual effects to make your attorney website work. While each individual element is subtle, the overall effect is a striking website that clearly shows clients why they should hire your firm.